Re: AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing

On 2024-05-03 00:32, Joe Gwinn wrote:

On Thu, 2 May 2024 08:28:35 +0200, "Carlos E.R."
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
 

On 2024-05-02 07:24, Jan Panteltje wrote:

AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing
   https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/am-radio-is-a-lifeline-lawmakers-say-tech-and-auto-industries-disagree/
A recent test of the emergency alert system found only 1 percent got it via AM.
>
Strange. most is FM these days, or digital?
Something to do with Soros buying radio stations ;-) ?
>

>
You are talking of the USA?
>
I would think that there are areas over there where FM in cars does not
work, and people have to use AM.
>
It happens in Spain, which is far smaller, so surely it happens in the USA.

 It does happen in the US, particularly in rural areas and/or
mountainous areas, because the short-wave stuff (FM band and above,
including TV bands) is line of sight, while AM follows the ground over
the mountain into the valley, and so on.  This effect is quite strong,
and many rural communities in valleys paid to have a repeater atop the
highest local mountain, to send the FM and TV signals down into the
valley.  Which doesn't work so well from a car driving through the
mountains.
 I had a friend many years ago who lived in rural Virginia, and had the
valley problem, and some makes and models of car didn't have good
enough AM radios, and/or had too much interference from the ignition
system.

I wonder if modern ignition is better than old for this. I mean, now there is a coil per plug, so that the distribution works at low voltage.
--
Cheers, Carlos.